Harpoon cannon



1952 J. B. GALLIANO ET AL 8 ,758

HARPOON CANNON Filed Aug. 20, 1946 INVENTORS JOHN B. GALL/ANO JOHN R. GR/GG BY .4 TTORNE'K 3a 37 as Patented Jan. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARPOON CANNON John B. Galliano, Oakland, and John R. Grigg,

Alameda, Caliil, assignors, by mesne assign-'- merits, to Industrial Ideas, Ina, Oakland, Calif., a corporation of California Application August 20, 1946, Serial No. 691,724 v l '5 Claims. (01.124 11) This invention relates to guns for throwing or propelling harpoons and other articles.

An object of the invention is to avoid the fire and much ofthe noise which accompanies the firing of a gun in which the propellant used is an cxplosive. Another object of the invention is to provide a gun in which the propellant does not heat the gun, so that it will not be subject, on repeated use, to the deterioration which results from the use of explosive propellants. Other objects or the invention are to provide such a gun which is durable, light in weight, simple in construction, and easy and economical to operate.

Still other objects and advantages of the inventlon will become apparent on reading this specification in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof.

In such drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the gun on its mount. Fig. 2 is a vertical, longitudinal section through the gun. Fig. 3 is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 2. The gun is provided with a conventional support H which can be bolted or otherwise afiixed to'the deck or other part of a ship. The gun is mounted on the support so that it can be tilted up or down and swing about an upright axis for aiming it. The gun supportand mounting are conventiional and form no part of the novelty of the invention and are not described in detail.

The gun itself comprises a barrel l2, in which the projectile, for example a harpoon I3, is located. The bar-rel has a flange l4v which fits within the breach l6 and is held therein by an exteriorly threaded ring I l, of which the threads fit into threads on the interior of the end of the breach. The rear end of the barrel forms a valve seat l8. A valve I9 is mounted to move toward and away from such valve seat. The valve is an operable closure for one end of a high pressure chamber 2|, the other end of which is permanently closed by a wall 22. Behind this wall is another chamber 23 of somewhat less diameter than the chamber 2|, so that a shoulder 24 is provided against which the wall 22 is located.

The valve I 9 is mounted on a rod 26 which projects slidably through the wall 22, packing means 21 preventing leakage through the wall. The rod 26 is affixed to a piston-like member or plunger 28 which can slide back and forth in the chamber 23. It is urged forward by a spring 28. one end of which abuts against it while the other end abuts against the bottom of a cavity 3| in a plug 32 screwed into the breech. The plunger 28, whatever its posltion m'ay be, is always spaced from the wall 22 to form a firing chamber 33 be tween them. The plunger 28 is provided with one or more leakage vents, as at 34, and the plug is similarly vented, as at'35. Nipples 36 and 3'! connect with the chamber 2|, and a nipple 38 connects with thechamber 33. A pressure gauge 39 is attached to the nipple 36. A pipe 4| is connected to a source (not shown) of gas (preferably liquid carbon dioxide) as a source of high pressure and has branches which are controlled individually by valves 42 and. The nipple 31 is connectedby a flexible high pressure hose 44 to the branch controlled by the valve 42. Connected to the nipple 38 is a quick-acting valve 48, which, in turn, is connected by a high pressure hose 4! to the branch controlled by the valve 43. The valve 46 has an operating handle 48 which is connected by a link 49 to a trigger 5| located adjacent to an aiming handle 52. A conventional device 53 is provided to take up the recoil on firing the gun. I

- The operation of the invention will now be described, Valves 42 and 43 are opened before the gun is to be used. The compressed gas then flows into the high pressure chamber 2| and aids in maintaining the valve l9 closed. The trigger 5| is pulled when the gun is aimed properly with the highpress'ure gas in the chamber 2 I, and this permits high pressure gas to enter the chamber 33. This forces the plunger 28 rearwardly to exert a pull on the rod 26 and open the valve l9. One source of high pressure gas is preferred for feeding into both chambers 2| and33, and the area of the valve 1 Bismade smaller than that of the plunger 28 to eiiect such functioning. When this valve is opened, the compressed gas rushes from the high pressure chamber 2| into the bore of the gun barrel and ejects the missile. The compressed gas in the firing chamber 33 leaks out tothe atmosphere through the leakage vents 34 and 35, permitting the spring 29 to close the valve I9. Then, after properly placing another harpoon or other missile within the barrel, the gun is ready for re-use in the manner described. The pressure gauge will indicate the pressure prevailing in the propellant-storage chamber 2|.

The gun may be used not only for propelling harpoons but also in life saving operations at sea to send a rope or cable from one ship to another, for sending up flares, andfor other purposes as well.

The bore of the gun barrel may be smooth, and the harpoon or, other missile may fit the bore ex cept for a very small tolerance of about one-sixty fourth /54) of an inch. Any suitable com- "pressed gas may be used as the propellant, but

Certain details which have been referred to for the purpose of explaining theinvention can be varied, added to, or omitted, without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

valve within the member and adjacent to the inner end of the barrel, a stem to which the valve is attached, a wall fixed within the member and spaced from'the valve, the gun having a .high pressure chamber formed in part by the member, valve and 'wall, the member having a-lesser interior diameter behind the wall to form a shoulder to support the wall in position, a plunger behind the wall and movable toward and away from the wall, the stem extending through the wall and being attached to the plunger, packing to prevent leakage where the stem extends through the wall, the'plunger being spaced from the jvall when the valve is; open'and closed, the 'gun having a firing chamber formed in part by the member, wall and plungeiga' closure member spaced from the plunger, a compression spring extending from the closure 'member to the plunger to close normally the valve and maintain it closed, a closed conduit to connect the high pressure chamber to a source of gas under high pressure, a valve in the conduit, a second closed conduit toconnect theflring chamber to a source iof gas under high pressure, a valve in the second conduit, a normally closed firing valve in the second conduit between the first mentioned valve therein and the firing chamber, and a trigger to open the last mentioned valve, the plunger and closure having vents therethrough to release pressure accumulated in the firing chamber. 2. A gun having a barrel and a pressure chamher for gas under, pressure located proximately said wall to the outer side thereof, valve actuating means connectedf to said stem-adjacent the puter side of said wall to urge said stem in a direction to open said valve, said valve actuating means arranged to operate'in'dependently of voluine displacement of the gas' contained in said pressure chamber.

3; A gun having a barrel and a pressure sham-- her for gas under pressure locate'dproximately behind the barrel, a valve to selectively separate a hollow cylin- :file'of this patent:

or connect the barrel and chamber, a fluid tight sealing wall closing the end of said pressure chamber opposite the said valve, a stem on which the valve is mounted, the said stem in fluid sealed relationship with and extending slidably through said wall to the outer side thereof, and valve actuating means to open saidvalvefloperable by gas under pressure supplied from a source independent of the gas under pressure in said pressure chamber.

4. Aigun having a barrel and a high pressure chamber located proximately behind the barrel,

a valve to selectively separate or connect the barrel and chamber, a fluid tight sealing wall closing the end of said pressure chamber opposite the said valve, a stem on which the valve is mounted, the said stem in fluid sealed relation with and extending slidably through said wall to the outer side thereof, a plunger spaced from the outer side of said wall and connected to said valve stem, the gun having; a firing chamber of which the'outer side of said wall and said plunger form a part, said firing chamber being in non-fluid communication with said pressure chamber, the plunger having a greater area than the said valve, and valve means provided on said gun to supply selectively gas under pressure .to said pressure chamber or said firing chamber. 7

5. A gun having abarrel and a high pressure chamber located proximately behind the barrel, a valve to selectively separate or connect the barrel and chamber, a' fluicl'tight sealing wall closing the end of said pressure chamber opposite the said valve, a stein on which the valve is mounted, the said stem being in fluid sealed relation with andv extending slidablythrough said wall to the outer side thereof, a plunger spaced from the outer side of said wall and connected to'said valve stem, the gun having a firing chamberof which the outer side of said wall and said plunger form a part, said firing chamber being in non-fluid communication with said pressure chamber, the plunger having a greater area than the said valve, valve means provided on said gun to supply selectively gas under pressure to said pressure chamber or said firing chamber, and a I vent provided through said plunger to releasepressure accumulated in the firing chamber. i I

' JOHN B. GALLIANO.

* JOHN R. GRIGG.

, REFERENCES CITED 1 The following references are -of record in the UNITED- STATES PATENTS Number Date V Name 614,878 Mefford ;Nov. 29,1898 1,184,271 Ten Eyck May 23,1916 -1,253,005 Conran Jan. 8, 1918 1,299,901 Blair Apr. 8, 1919 FQRLEIGN PATENTS Number C Country Date l I Great Britain Aug. 14,1935 

